Not so Weak After All
by The Alice Killer - Storm
Summary: Ruby feels as though she's falling behind and asks Kanan to help her catch up
1. Not so Weak After All

Being a school idol is hard work. It requires a lot of commitment. It also required someone to have a lot of stamina.

That was something that Ruby lacked. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep up. Ruby felt bad about it all. She felt like she was holding everyone back. Because of her, they would take a lot more breaks than they probably should.

So, Ruby decided to try harder. She was going to do things outside of practice to try and help increase her stamina. What could she do? Ruby wasn't too sure about the answer to that. She thought long and hard about what she could do to try and work on her form.

After a long time, Ruby came up with a plan. She was going to ask Kanan to help her. Kanan was very athletic, so it made sense to go to her. Ruby knew she could also go to Yō, but she felt a lot more hesitant. She didn't know why, but she was nervous to ask Yō to help her. So Kanan it was.

Ruby started by dropping by to visit her one weekend. Kanan was busy in the diving shop as always. Ruby hoped she wouldn't be disturbing anything by going to her now.

She entered the shop. Kanan looked a little surprised to see her. Ruby nervously walked over to where Kanan stood behind a counter. Kanan rested her elbows on the counter and put her head on her connected hands.

"What's up, Ruby-chan?" Kanan asked.

"U-um… do you have… some time to talk?" Ruby stammered out.

"Not right now. If it's just a quick question or something than I can answer it, but if you want to talk for a while, you'll have to wait." Kanan replied.

"O-okay…" Ruby said.

"I'll have some free time in about an hour. You wanna meet up somewhere and talk?" Kanan offered.

"Sure…" Ruby nodded.

"Alright. How about we go to a cafe and get lunch then." Kanan suggested as she wrote down the address to a cafe for Ruby.

"That sounds good. S-see you then, Kanan-chan." Ruby left the shop after that.

She took a deep breath once she was outside. That was a lot harder than she thought it would be. She hadn't thought she'd freeze up that badly. Ruby felt comfortable around Kanan, having known her for a long time because of Dia. It was strange to her that she reacted that way to her.

Ruby sighed as she walked away. She didn't know what she was going to do for the hour. She didn't want to go home only to have to walk all the way back. Ruby decided she would just go and take a walk on the beach and find a nice shaded spot to sit in.

When about 50 minutes had passed, Ruby got up and went to go to the cafe. She followed the directions on the note. She got there first. Ruby waited a few minutes before Kanan showed up.

They walked inside and sat at a small table. They got some simple drinks and snacks to eat. Ruby was trying to figure out how to ask Kanan what she wanted to ask.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Kanan asked Ruby after they got their orders.

"Um… I was wondering… if you'd be able to, um, help me… with something?" Ruby stammered out.

"What is it?"

"I… I want to be able to keep up with everyone at practice… I was, um, wondering if you could… could help me increase my… my stamina?" Ruby asked.

"What exactly are you wanting me to do?" Kanan asked.

"I don't know…" Ruby mumbled, "I just… I don't want to hold everyone back…"

"Well, I guess I'll see what I can do." Kanan said, "But, it's really no big deal if you're a little slower than everyone."

"But even Hanamaru-chan has gotten better! I haven't…" Ruby sighed.

"Everyone works at their own pace."

After they ate, they split the check and then parted ways. Ruby went back home, while Kanan went back to the shop. She couldn't stop thinking about what had transpired at the cafe. She had not been expecting that.

Kanan didn't know what to do. She wasn't sure what would help Ruby feel better about herself. Kanan knew that the things she did would be way too hard for Ruby. She would have to create an entire new workout routine for Ruby if she truly wanted to go through with it.

Kanan started putting one together when she got back. Whenever she didn't have anyone to tend to, she would work on it. Kanan was doubting that Ruby would go through with it once she read what she would have to do. Even if it was significantly easier than Kanan's workout routines, it was still going to be a struggle.

She didn't know what to do if Ruby was going to stick to it. Kanan wasn't the best at instructing other people. She didn't know what to say. She just knew she couldn't not do this if Ruby wanted to. She had agreed to it and she wasn't going to go back on her promise. That made her feel bad even just thinking about it.

Kanan sighed. She had gotten herself into something that she wasn't sure about. Now she had to keep with it. Kanan wished she hadn't been the one approached, but it was too late to change any of that now. She had to do it.

The next day, Kanan invited Ruby out early in the morning. Ruby snuck out, not wanting Dia to know what she was up to. The last time she mentioned having problems with falling behind, Dia hadn't taken it very well. She didn't want Ruby trying to push herself and insisted she was doing perfect the way she was. Ruby knew this would make the same conversation happen again.

Ruby and Kanan met up on a small bike path that ran through the more rural parts of the area. Kanan had told Ruby to come in an exercise outfit. Ruby had done so. Kanan was also in an exercise outfit.

"So, if you want to do this, I need to see your capabilities so I can make a training plan for you. So, I thought we'd start off easy. This goes pretty far. See how far you go before you tire too much to continue running." Kanan said.

"Okay." Ruby agreed, eager to finally be getting somewhere with her goal.

"I'll run beside you and I'll be timing it." Kanan said, "Start whenever you're ready."

Ruby took a few deep breaths and then started running. Kanan ran beside her. She kept pace with her. Ruby was a little nervous about this. What if Kanan made fun of her? Ruby didn't know why she thought that might happen. She didn't think Kanan ever would, but yet, her mind kept saying that would happen.

They made it for almost seven minutes, before Ruby started to slow down a little. She pressed onward, but her pace had definitely slowed. Kanan was barely fazed by this run. Ruby was panting pretty heavily. She only made it to ten minutes before she stopped and couldn't go on.

"Not bad." Kanan commented, "Most people probably couldn't get passed five minutes."

Ruby was too out-of-breath to reply. She felt happy that she had passed other people. But, she knew it wasn't by that much.

"How far… can you go?" Ruby asked between her panting.

"Hmm… if I run, normally I can make it to about 34 of the way before I stop." Kanan replied.

Ruby looked down the path. It still stretched on without an end in sight. She knew that meant Kanan could run way farther than just to where she had stopped. Ruby soon caught her breath. Kanan handed her a water bottle she had brought for her. Ruby thanked her and gulped half of it down.

"Rest for a bit and then we'll do the next thing." Kanan said as she took a seat on the ground.

Ruby sat down beside her. They sat in silence for a while. The only thing you could hear was Ruby breathing heavily. They sat there for about 10 minute, before Kanan felt Ruby should be rested enough.

"The next thing is basic exercises. So, I would suggest stretching first." Kanan said.

Ruby nodded and stood up. Kanan stood up as well. She watched as Ruby stretched out. Kanan gave her a few pointers on her stretches and taught her a few new ones. Once Ruby felt she had stretched enough, she looked at Kanan for her next task.

"Let's start easy. Do as many jumping jacks as you can until you tire out." Kanan said.

Ruby started off strong, but within six jumps, her arms were already hurting. She made it to 25 before she couldn't continue. Her arms felt like they were about to fall off. Kanan handed her the water and a towel to wipe off her sweat.

"Until you get used to exercising like this, you're going to get very sore." Kanan warned.

"Okay…" Ruby sighed.

"I think that's enough for now. Maybe later we can do some more." Kanan said, knowing that Ruby was not going to manage to complete all the tasks in this one session as she had hoped.

"Okay… just tell me when then…" Ruby mumbled. She knew she had failed. She hadn't done much and yet she was already being told to rest for a while.

The two of them started walking back the way they came. The sun had now fully risen in the sky. When they had started, the sun was barely peeking out. Once they got out of the path, they went their separate ways. Ruby hoped Dia wouldn't be home to question her. She didn't know what she could say as a lie.

Unfortunately, Dia was home. She also happened to be able to see her the moment she walked in. Ruby hoped Dia wouldn't question her, but she knew that wasn't going to happen.

"Where have you been?" Dia asked her, eyeing her with a little bit of a suspicious gaze.

"Um… I wanted to take a walk…" Ruby lied.

"Then why are you covered in sweat?" Dia didn't believe her.

"I ran a little…" Ruby replied.

"Go get changed and showered." Dia pushed her toward the steps, "And then you better tell me the truth. I know you well enough to be able to tell when you lie to me."

Ruby sighed as she slunk up the stairs and into her room. She had been caught. Ruby grabbed a change of clothes and then got a shower. She was wondering if there was anyway to get out of this.

It didn't seem like it. Ruby went back downstairs. Dia was waiting for her. They sat down in the living room. Ruby was nervously fiddling with her hands. She didn't know what to say. She didn't want Dia to know the truth. Ruby wanted to prove she could be better than she already was. She knew she was going to be pushing herself a lot, but she was willing to do it.

"So, what's the truth?" Dia asked in a very calm, but firm, voice.

"I went on a run." Ruby said as confidently as she could.

"Why did you go on a run?" Dia asked.

Ruby was unsure if Dia believed her or was trying to find something that didn't match up. Ruby couldn't tell. She wasn't as good at reading Dia's expressions as she was to her.

"I wanted to." Ruby replied.

"Is this about you feeling like you're not good enough at practice?" Dia asked.

Ruby bit her lip. She should've known Dia would've figured it out. Dia seemed to understand the answer by Ruby's reaction.

"Ruby, I've told you before, you don't need to worry. You're perfectly fine as it is. Why are you trying to change it? You're going to hurt yourself if you do it." Dia stated.

"You don't understand!" Ruby yelled, "You don't get anything!"

Ruby stormed off to her room. She slammed the door shut and locked it. Dia sighed. She didn't realize it was affecting Ruby that much. She just thought it was a small thing she worried about.

Ruby collapsed onto her bed and started crying. She just wanted to do something for herself and yet she was being shot down. Dia wasn't the only one who expressed concern over what she wanted to do. Mari also felt she was going to end up hurting herself instead.

Ruby felt her phone buzz. She opened it to see that it was just some of the Aqours members fooling around on the group chat again. Ruby was hoping it would've been Kanan. That would've given her a reason to leave the house.

A knock sounded from the other side of her door, "Ruby?"

"Leave me alone…" Ruby growled. She didn't want to see Dia right now.

"Ruby, I'm sorry… can we please talk about this?"

"Go away!" Ruby yelled and then buried her head under her pillows.

Footsteps moved away from her door. Ruby sighed in relief. She didn't have to talk to Dia yet. She wasn't ready for that conversation.

Her phone buzzed again. Ruby looked. This time, it was Kanan. She was asking if 12 was a good time to meet up. Ruby replied that it was. She put her phone down. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten anything yet today.

Ruby got off of her bed and hesitantly opened her door. She peered into the hallway, but saw no one there. She crept out of her room and down to the kitchen. Ruby made herself a simple breakfast. It was just two slices of toast and some milk.

Just as Ruby finished eating and cleaning up, Dia found her. Ruby tried to walk passed her, but Dia caught her and refused to let her go.

"We need to talk." Dia stated.

"We don't." Ruby replied.

Dia was taken aback by the sudden firmness. Ruby didn't tend to fight back. And yet, now she was. And she was fighting back really forcefully.

"Ruby, please. I want to know what's going on. Why are you feeling like this?" Dia asked, lowering her tone of voice slightly.

"I've told you before, but you never listen to me!" Ruby said, before she struggled out of Dia's grip and ran back to her room.

When it came time to go and meet up with Kanan, Ruby was very nervous. She hadn't come out of her room since the fight. Ruby didn't know where Dia was. She sighed and left her room. She had a small duffel bag with her. She snuck downstairs and looked around. Dia was downstairs. She was on the couch reading a book.

"I'm going out." Ruby said and then quickly left the house.

She walked swiftly over to the beach. That was where Kanan said to meet up this time. Ruby assumed they were going swimming, as Kanan had told her to wear her bathing suit. Ruby arrived at the beach a little bit after 12. Kanan was waiting there for her.

"Hey." Kanan greeted her.

"Hi." Ruby replied.

She looked out at the ocean. It was a very calm tide for once. Recently there had been a lot of rough days for the ocean. This was a first in a while that it's been calm.

"You ready for the next thing?" Kanan asked as she started undressing herself until she was left in just a bathing suit.

Ruby nodded, "Yeah."

She undressed into her bathing suit as well. Kanan led her to the ocean. Ruby couldn't help but look at Kanan's frame. She was very fit. Ruby wished she could look like that. She also couldn't help but be jealous of another thing about Kanan. Her breast size.

Ruby tried to focus on the task at hand, but she couldn't help but want to eye Kanan up. Ruby started to wonder if there was another reason for her wanting to look at Kanan the way she was. She couldn't help but feel like she may have some feelings for Kanan.

"So, this is pretty simple. Just swim against the waves until you don't wanna go out farther and then just tread water until you get tired. This should be easier to last longer with." Kanan explained the task.

"Okay." Ruby nodded, a determined look on her face.

Her and Kanan swam out into the ocean. Kanan kept herself behind Ruby just in case a wave caught her off guard and she got pushed backwards. Ruby struggled through the waves. They might not be very high, but the force was still enough to slow her down considerably.

Ruby couldn't swim out very far. She stopped a few yards out. She looked at Kanan while also keeping an eye out for waves that might hit her. Kanan smiled at her as they floated in the ocean.

"How far do you normally go out?" Ruby asked.

"Depends on the weather. A day like today, I'd probably end up about another few feet or so." Kanan replied.

Ruby felt disappointed again. She couldn't match up anywhere close to Kanan. Ruby was starting to question if this was worth it. She felt like she wasn't going to get better. Kanan outshone her in everything and it made her feel bad.

"Ruby-chan?" Kanan called.

Ruby blinked back to reality, "Huh?"

"Are you alright? You seem distracted." Kanan said.

"Oh… I'm just thinking about something." Ruby replied.

"Hmm…" Kanan hummed, "Well, you ready to swim back to the shore?"

"Yeah." Ruby nodded.

They made their way back to the beach. Karan taught Ruby a trick on how to ride the waves back to the beach. Once they were back on land, Ruby plopped down onto the sand. She was tired from all that swimming. It took a lot of work to do that. Ruby couldn't understand how Kanan was able to not be tired after that.

Kanan sat down beside Ruby. She took out her ponytail and shook her head to get her hair to settle into its place. Ruby watched. She felt her face flush a little. Ruby couldn't help but think Kanan looked really sexy with her hair down.

"Ruby-chan?"

"Huh?" Ruby snapped out of her daze and looked at Kanan.

"You alright?" Kanan asked.

Ruby nodded, "Yeah. I'm fine. Just tired."

"Do you want to lean on me and rest?" Kanan offered, "I don't mind."

Ruby nodded and did just that. She let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes. The scent that Kanan had calmed her. She always liked that scent ever since they were children. Ruby found herself falling asleep. She didn't want to sleep. She wanted to prove she wasn't that tired. But, unfortunately she couldn't keep her eyes open.

Kanan smiled at Ruby's sleeping figure. She brushed some of Ruby's wet hair out of her face. Ruby was sleeping with a content smile on her face. They stayed like that for a while.

There were footsteps sounding on the sand behind them. Kanan turned around and saw it was Dia. Dia had a bit of a suspicious look on her face. She took a seat beside Kanan. Kanan was a little nervous. She didn't know why Dia was here and looking the way that she was.

"What's up?" Kanan asked.

"What are you two doing?" Dia asked, her voice firm and cold.

"Um… we went swimming in the ocean and… now we're resting?" Kanan offered as an explanation.

"You're trying to help her, aren't you? She told you she feels like she's falling behind and now you're doing this." Dia grumbled.

"What's so wrong with it?" Kanan asked.

"She's not going to improve. This isn't just her being out-of-shape or anything like that. This is a medical condition. Nothing will fix it." Dia stated.

"Medical condition?" Kanan repeated in confusion.

Dia sighed and nodded, "She has weak bones. They'll never grow strong enough no matter what. It's just how it is. She'll just get hurt doing this."

"Doesn't she know?" Kanan questioned.

Dia shook her head, "No. She doesn't know about it. Mom and dad said no one was allowed to tell her."

"She should know. It's her that's being affected by it." Kanan said.

"Do you realize how much that will crush her? If she finds out now she'll be devastated. It's better she doesn't know." Dia replied, "Now I suggest you tell her you're not going to be training her anymore."

"I refuse." Kanan stated.

Dia's eyes widened. She had not been expecting Kanan to fight it. She thought her reasoning would've convinced Kanan it was best to stop.

"Why?" Dia asked, unable to say anything else despite the numerous words floating around in her head.

"Because I'm not going to hurt her. Until you tell her the truth, I'm not stopping. And even then, if she still wants to do this, I'm not saying no." Kanan said.

"You're going to hurt her if you keep this up." Dia warned.

"No. You are. It's your job to tell her the truth." Kanan retorted.

"Why don't you tell her?" Dia challenged, "Why is it too hard for you to do it?"

"Because it's not my place." Kanan said.

Dia stood up, "I'm not telling her."

"Then stop complaining about her trying to better herself." Kanan grumbled.

Dia didn't respond and instead just walked away. Kanan sighed. She looked down at Ruby. Kanan felt bad for her. Ruby just wanted to fit in better. But, it seemed that wasn't possible for her.

Kanan gently shook Ruby awake. Ruby sleepily blinked up at Kanan. She remained leaning on her.

"Do you want to go and get a shower? I don't think sleeping like this is very comfortable." Kanan asked.

"Sure…" Ruby yawned.

Kanan and Ruby stood up. They put back on their clothes. Ruby was still tired. Now that she had slept some, she felt even more tired. Kanan didn't seem tired at all. Ruby could tell that something was bothering her, though.

"You wanna hang at my place for a while?" Kanan asked, "It's closer."

"That's fine." Ruby nodded.

The two of them walked off the beach and to Kanan's house. Ruby hesitantly reached and grabbed Kanan's hand. Kanan smiled at her and then gently squeezed her hand. Ruby smiled back at her.

The walk wasn't very long. Kanan opened the door and let Ruby go in first. She led her up to the bathroom. Ruby opened up her bag and grabbed her spare change of clothes she had packed.

"You can go first." Kanan said as she moved to leave the bathroom.

"U-um, I don't mind if we share…" Ruby said, before flushing bright red at what she had just said.

"You sure? I don't mind waiting a bit." Kanan seemed surprised at that statement.

"It's fine." Ruby said, "We can both fit. It's not that uncomfortable."

She wanted to stick with it. She didn't want to risk having to explain why she offered it anyway. Ruby hoped her explanation was good enough.

"Alright then. I'll go grab my clothes." Kanan said and then she left the bathroom.

Ruby started running the water while she waited for Kanan to come back. She felt a little embarrassed about this situation she had gotten herself into. Ruby was self-conscious about her body. She was nervous to let Kanan see her without anything covering her. The water wouldn't hide much.

Ruby, somehow, had never actually seen Kanan completely nude and vice versa. They had seen each other in their undergarments before, but that was it. This was new for both of them. Kanan wasn't nervous or embarrassed about it at all, though. Ruby most definitely was.

It didn't take long for Kanan to come back. By the time she did, Ruby had already filled the bathtub with water. Kanan locked the door and then started undressing. She paid no mind to Ruby as she stripped. It was almost as if this was a casual thing to her.

Ruby hesitantly undressed as well. She was a lot more timid about it. Ruby couldn't stop herself from examining Kanan's body. She really did envy it a lot. Ruby diverted her gaze when Kanan turned her way. She started to get into the bath. Kanan followed her lead. They sat there in silence.

"Ruby-chan. I have a question for you." Kanan said.

"W-what is it?" Ruby asked, a little nervous.

"Why do you want to do this? You aren't really a burden to us if your a little slow. So, what makes you want to when we don't care?" Kanan asked.

"I…" Ruby started to play with her hands, "I just… I want to show everyone that I can be strong too… I know you all treat me like a little kid. I'm not. I want to be treated like an adult."

"Why didn't you just say that?" Kanan questioned, "If that's what you want, then we can easily change."

Ruby sighed. She knew that Kanan wouldn't understand. She had to go through it to understand it. Ruby was alone in this. There was no one else in Aqours who understood her problem.

"Ruby-chan, there's something you need to know." Kanan said, her tone turning more serious.

"What is it?" Ruby asked as she tried to keep herself composed.

"There's something behind why you're falling behind. Dia-san is refusing to tell you, as are your parents." Kanan said, "The truth is… you have a medical problem that makes it so you'll always be weaker than everyone else."

"What!?"

"I'm sorry…" Kanan whispered.

Ruby started crying. Her dreams were crushed. She would never be able to fulfill them. Not if she couldn't improve. Ruby felt anger. She had been betrayed. This entire time, Dia knew why she was falling behind and didn't tell her. Ruby wanted to yell at her. She never wanted to do that.

"Want a hug?" Kanan asked as she held out her arms.

Ruby nodded and launched herself into Kanan's arms. She started sobbing into Kanan's chest. Kanan ran her fingers through Ruby's hair.

"I'm sorry you had to find out like this…" Kanan whispered.

Ruby kept crying for a while. She only stopped when she ran out of tears. She looked up at Kanan. Kanan smiled sadly at her as she reached out and wiped away some tears from Ruby's face. Ruby sniffled as she pulled away from Kanan.

They got out of the bath and got dressed. Ruby wasn't looking at Kanan at all now. She kept her head down. Kanan was worried about her. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to help Ruby.

"Do you wanna stay for a while?" Kanan asked, "We can go and lay on my bed."

Ruby nodded. Kanan led her to her bedroom. They laid down on the bed together. Ruby curled up close to Kanan. Kanan wrapped an arm around Ruby.

"Why don't you rest? I'll be right here if you need anything." Kanan offered.

"Okay…" Ruby mumbled.

Ruby couldn't fall asleep. She tried, but she wasn't able to. She blinked open her eyes and looked at Kanan. Kanan was reading something on her phone. Ruby snuggled closer to her. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep again. This time, she found herself drifting off.

"Kanan-chan… I love you…" Ruby whispered as sleep claimed her.

Kanan looked over at her in surprise. She let out a soft sigh and kissed Ruby on the head. She pulled the covers over her.

"I love you too…"

Ruby woke from her nap an hour later. She sat up and stretched. Kanan was sleeping beside her. Ruby carefully climbed out of the bed. She didn't want to disturb Kanan. Ruby went to the bathroom. When she came back, Kanan was awake. Ruby sat beside Kanan.

"Had a nice nap?" Kanan asked her.

Ruby nodded, "Yeah…"

They fell into silence after that. Neither knew what to say.

"Ruby-chan, um… before you fell asleep, you said you love me. What do you mean?" Kanan hesitantly asked.

"Um… I…" Ruby didn't know what to say, "I…"

"Take your time."

"I um… I love you… like love love you…" Ruby mumbled, her face now bright red.

"As in you want to date me?" Kanan asked.

Ruby squeezed her eyes shut and nodded. She was afraid to see Kanan's reaction. Ruby assumed she was going to be rejected. But, much to her surprise, that wasn't the answer she got. What she got instead was Kanan kissing her on the head. Ruby hesitantly opened her eyes and looked up at Kanan.

"Well, maybe I love you too." Kanan said.

Ruby's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't thought Kanan would ever feel the same way about her.

"W-will y-you go out… o-out with me?" Ruby stammered.

Kanan nodded, "Yes. I'll go out with you."

Ruby smiled and hugged Kanan. Maybe things weren't so bad? Even if she had just had her hopes and dreams crushed, she was happy again. Maybe with Kanan, she could still make those dreams happen.


	2. Bonus: The Aftermath

Kanan and Ruby spent most of the day together. They did a lot of different things. Kanan took Ruby to a small café to have some lunch. Then they went to the arcade for a bit. Then they came back to Kanan's house. They talked about a lot of things.

Before they knew it, night had fallen. Kanan and Ruby were snuggling on a couch in the living room. Ruby's phone dinged with a message. Ruby picked it up to see who was texting her. It was Dia. She was asking Ruby where she was. It was past the time Dia allowed her to be out until.

"Onee-chan wants me to come home." Ruby said. She didn't really want to go home. How was she going to face Dia after what she learned?

"Oh… I guess it is pretty late." Kanan sighed, "Well, get your things and I'll walk you home. I doubt Dia-san will let you stay over for the night."

"Okay…" Ruby frowned. She had been hoping Kanan would let her stay.

Ruby got up from the couch. She went to Kanan's room and grabbed her bag. She was hesitant to leave. Ruby sighed and went back to Kanan. Kanan took Ruby by one of her hands and started leading her out of the door.

Ruby texted Dia back to let her know she was coming home. Ruby looked up at Kanan. Kanan didn't have any emotions on her face that Ruby could read. Kanan turned and met Ruby's gaze.

"You okay?" Kanan asked her.

Ruby shrugged, "I don't know…"

"What's wrong?" Kanan asked.

"It's just… I don't know what to do… I don't know how to face her after what I learned…" Ruby mumbled.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out." Kanan reassured her.

Ruby wanted to believe Kanan. She wanted to believe that she would be able to figure out what to do. But, she was doubting it. Nothing came to mind when she thought of how to approach Dia about the issue.

Ruby was so lost in thought she didn't even realize that they had made it to her house. Ruby nervously went up to the door. Kanan stood beside her. Ruby opened the door and walked in. Kanan stated outside.

"See you tomorrow." Kanan said and then turned and started to leave.

"Bye." Ruby replied.

She took a deep breath and then closed and locked the door. She walked down the hall. She didn't see Dia. Ruby hoped she had gone to bed already. That wasn't the case. Dia was waiting for her at the top of the stairs.

Ruby didn't know what to say. She tried to walk past her, but Dia refused to let her. Ruby sighed.

"Where have you been?" Dia asked.

"With Kanan-chan." Ruby replied.

"And what did you guys do?" Dia questioned.

"Um… we went swimming, and then we went to a café for lunch, then to the arcade, and then we just hung out at her house." Ruby said.

"And why are you hanging out with Kanan-san?" Dia eyes Ruby suspiciously.

"Why do you care?" Ruby shot back, "She's my friend too! Can't I hang out with her?"

"You asked her to help you." Dia stated.

"So what if I did?" Ruby replied, "It's not like you care!"

"I do care. That's why I insist you stop this at once." Dia replied firmly. Her voice left no room for argument, but Ruby didn't care.

"If you cared so much you would've told me the truth!" Ruby yelled and then ran past Dia and into her room.

Ruby collapsed onto her bed. She buried her face in her pillows. She couldn't believe she had actually just done that. Her and Dia never fought. Ruby felt a little bad about it. She knew Dia was just trying to keep her safe, but the way she was going about it wasn't something she liked.

"Ruby?"

"Go away…" Ruby growled.

The door to her room opened instead. Ruby looked up from her pillows. Dia was standing at the door.

"Ruby, please. Just listen to me." Dia started walking toward her.

"No. I don't want to." Ruby stated.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen." Dia sighed as she sat down beside Ruby.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why?" Ruby felt herself getting teary eyed.

"Because I didn't want you to get upset. I didn't think you'd fight this hard." Dia said.

"I hate you."

Ruby froze up. She had not meant to say that. She didn't think before she spoke.

"Fine." Dia sighed.

"I...I'm sorry… I didn't…" Ruby stammered.

"Ruby, please just promise me you'll stop." Dia said.

"I promise." Ruby mumbled.

"Get some rest." Dia accepted that and left the room.

Ruby sighed and buried her face back into her pillows. She stayed like that for a few minutes, before she got up. Ruby left her room and went to Dia's. She knocked on the door and walked in. Dia was sitting on her bed reading a book.

"What is it?" Dia looked over at Ruby.

"I... I'm sorry… I didn't mean to yell at you…" Ruby mumbled, "I don't hate you…"

Dia set down her book and got off of her bed. She walked over to where Ruby was standing and hugged her. Ruby hugged Dia back.

"I know, Ruby. I know you didn't mean it." Dia said as she kissed Ruby on the head.

"I love you, onee-chan." Ruby said.

"I love you too." Dia replied.

They pulled away. Dia gave Ruby one more kiss on her head, before sending her back to bed. Ruby went back to her room. She sat on her bed. She pulled out her phone and saw that Kanan had texted her. Ruby opened up the message. Kanan had texted her when she had gotten back home saying she was home safely and wishing her a good night.

Ruby smiled as she read that message. She turned off her phone and plugged it in. She turned off her light and went to bed.

Ruby woke up the next morning to her alarm. She sat up and turned it off. She stretched and then laid back down on her bed. She didn't have school today. They were on a break. Ruby grabbed her phone and looked to see if there was anything important on it.

Kanan had texted her about an hour ago. She was asking if Ruby wanted to go on a date. Ruby felt her face flush as she read that. Kanan was asking her out on a date. Ruby hesitantly replied, asking for more information about the date. Kanan replied that she thought they could go and walk around the shopping center or something like that. Ruby agreed to the date and asked for a time. They settled on 11 a.m. as the time.

Ruby looked at the time. It was barely eight. She had a lot of time to waste. Ruby decided to go and get something to eat. She headed down to the kitchen. Dia was up already, as she normally was. Ruby greeted her. She hoped they wouldn't have anymore fights. She didn't like fighting with Dia at all.

"Do you want me to make you something as well?" Dia asked.

"S-sure." Ruby nodded.

They ate together. It seemed like their previous fights had been forgotten.

"So, what are you going to do today?" Ruby asked Dia.

"I'm not sure. I haven't decided yet. Are you doing something?" Dia asked her in reply.

Ruby hesitantly nodded, "Yeah…"

"What is it?" Dia asked.

"U-um… Kanan-chan invited me to go walk around the shopping center with her…" Ruby said.

"For what?" Dia raised an eyebrow at her.

"Onee-chan… um, Kanan-chan and I… we're um, we're dating." Ruby stammered.

"Da...ting?" Dia repeated in a shocked voice. That was not the news she had been expecting.

"Y-yeah." Ruby nodded, trying to put on a confident look.

"Since when?" Dia asked.

"Y-yesterday…" Ruby mumbled, bracing for a sharp reply. She knew that wouldn't be the answer Dia wanted.

"You just confessed to her yesterday and now you're dating? Don't you think that's a little too sudden?" Dia questioned.

"It's not!" Ruby defended.

"You're rushing into this." Dia stated.

"What do you know!?" Ruby challenged, "The only person you've ever dated left you after a week!"

Dia made a pained expression for a moment, before it returned to her normal, emotionless expression. Ruby instantly regretted what she said. She knew that was a sensitive topic to bring up.

"That's exactly why I'm telling you to slow down. We rushed into it too soon and that's why it happened." Dia said, her voice slightly wavering in its normal demeanor.

"You still believe that?" Ruby asked quietly.

"What do you mean? That's what happened." Dia was confused.

"Onee-chan, that's not what happened." Ruby replied, "I'm not saying what happened, but it wasn't that."

Dia went silent. She didn't know what to think. Ruby was telling her she was wrong. Dia wasn't sure if she should believe her or not. Ruby would never lie to her. Dia was sure of that.

"Ruby, even if it isn't the reason, this still isn't wise. And plus, she's a third year. What are you going to do when she graduates? What if she moves far away for college or something? Could you handle that?" Dia reasoned.

"We'll see when we get there." Ruby replied, "You aren't stopping me. I'm going to be my own person like you always say I should be. Let me learn the hard way if this wasn't wise. Stop protecting me.

Dia's eyes widened. She wasn't used to Ruby being so bold. Dia sighed. She knew Ruby wasn't going to back out.

"Just be safe. Tell me if anything happens." Dia replied, "You can come to me for help. Don't forget that."

"I know." Ruby mumbled.

"So, when is this date? I'm assuming it's a date." Dia said.

"11. That's when we said we'd meet up. And yes, it's a date." Ruby said.

"Alright. Tell me when you go then." Dia sighed, "I'll be in my room doing some work for a while."

"Okay." Ruby agreed.

"Also, bring Kanan-san home with you. I'd like to talk to her then." Dia added.

"Alright…"

Ruby left when it was 10:30. She told Dia she was leaving and then went. She met up with Kanan at a small shop along the way. They walked the rest of the way together.

"So, how'd it go with Dia-san?" Kanan asked.

"It's all right now." Ruby replied vaguely.

"Okay then. So, you ready for today?" Kanan asked with a smile.

Ruby nodded, "Yep."

They spent a good amount of time walking around and going to different stores. They didn't really buy anything. Neither saw anything they really wanted. Around one, they went to a diner and had some lunch. Once they were done, they went to the arcade to have some fun.

They left the mall when it was starting to get dark out. They stopped and grabbed something to eat on the walk back. Like before, Kanan walked Ruby home. They arrived back.

"Onee-chan wanted to talk to you." Ruby said as they made it to the door.

"About?" Kanan asked.

Ruby shrugged, "I don't know. She just said she wanted to talk to you."

"Alright. Shall we go in?" Kanan asked.

Ruby nodded and opened the door. The two of them walked in. Dia was in the living room reading a book as normal. She walked over to them.

"You can go get changed." Dia sent Ruby away.

Dia led Kanan back to the living room. Kanan was a little nervous. She had no idea what Dia wanted to talk about with her. Kanan just hoped it was a good thing and not something bad.

"So, you and Ruby are dating?" Dia asked.

"Yeah." Kanan nodded.

"Why? This is too sudden for my liking." Dia gave Kanan a warning glare.

"Well… um, she was upset and… I thought it'd make her feel better?" Kanan offered.

"You do love her, right?" Dia eyes Kanan suspiciously.

Kanan nodded, "Of course. I wouldn't do this if I didn't. That's just cruel."

"I expect you to be a good influence on her." Dia warned, "Don't you dare drag her into anything like you did to me when we were kids."

"I won't." Kanan promised sincerely.

"If you do, don't you dare expect me not to interfere." Dia stated firmly.

"I know." Kanan sighed.

"Good." Dia nodded in approval.

"You're very protective over Ruby dating me. We're friends and yet you still don't trust me enough?" Kanan asked, "Is this because of her?"

Dia knew exactly who the 'her' Kanan was referring to was. She knew that meant she really had been wrong in her reasoning behind why they broke up.

"I'm very confused. I don't understand what you mean." Dia said, "What's with bringing her up?"

"Because she dumped you because she didn't actually love you. So, I just… I thought that was why you were so protective." Kanan replied.

Dia had never realized that. Now that she thought back to it, it made perfect sense. They truly were in a very one-sided relationship. Dia couldn't believe she never realized that before.

"That's not the reason. I'm just not going to let you date Ruby without setting some ground rules." Dia replied.

"Fine… I promise I'll follow them. Am I free to go?" Kanan asked.

"You can spend the night if you'd like." Dia replied, "But you better not try anything."

Kanan knew exactly what Dia was referring to. She was definitely not thinking about that. She wouldn't even consider that for a while. Dia would kill her if she tried.

"Not even a thought I had." Kanan said.

"It better not have been." Dia said.

After that, Dia let Kanan go. Dia went back to reading her book. Kanan went and found Ruby. She announced she was going to be spending the night. Ruby was happy about that. She was glad she was able to date Kanan.

"I love you, Kanan-chan." Ruby said.

"I love you too, Ruby-chan." Kanan replied.

"I'm really happy. I'm glad to have you!" Ruby hugged Kanan.

"I'm glad to have you too."


End file.
